Pakistan women’s team head coach Wahab Riaz has underlined that his side will stick firmly to an aggressive style of play at the T20 World Cup in England, which gets underway on Friday.
Former Pakistan Test fast bowler Wahab explained that the squad has been encouraged to relish the stage, showcase their skills and prioritise their natural instincts, even though they find themselves in a demanding group.
“It is the dream of every player to play in a World Cup. I have told my players to go out there, enjoy themselves, express themselves and play attacking cricket, no matter what the outcome is,” Wahab said in a statement.
Pakistan share their pool with traditional rivals India, title holders Australia, South Africa, the Netherlands and Bangladesh,
and Wahab made it clear that the objective remains securing a berth in the semifinals.
The ex-pacer noted that the side’s recent difficulties have nonetheless served as important preparation in the build-up to the competition.
“Despite the results, the players have gained exposure by playing in Ireland and in the warm-up games before the World Cup. The weather is quite different from Pakistan, and the pitches also behave differently, but the players have been told not to worry and just play their natural game,” he said.
Wahab also pointed out that the inherently volatile format of T20 cricket leaves the door open for any team to make an impact.
“In T20 cricket, any result is possible. We will go into every group match with the belief that we can win,” he said.
“We have a good combination of experienced players and talented youngsters. To succeed in a World Cup, you just have to keep faith in your ability regardless of the opponent.”
Pakistan’s run-up to the event has been far from smooth, as they are yet to register a victory since landing in Ireland for a triangular series, where they went down to both Ireland and the West Indies. Their struggles continued with warm-up defeats against Sri Lanka and Scotland.
Even so, Wahab expressed optimism that English conditions could favour Pakistan’s reliance on spin.
“We are hoping to get pitches that assist spinners because that is one of our strengths,” he said.
Pakistan begin their World Cup journey against India on June 14 in Birmingham, a city known for its sizeable South Asian community.
(With PTI Inputs)
